Skirt-supporter and shoulder-brace.



No. 629,64l. Patented July 25, i899.

K. WILLIAMS.

SKIRT SUPPORTEB AND SHOULDER BRAGE.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1898.)

No Model) Nrrs STAT KATHARINE \VILLIAMS, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

SKIRT-SUPPORTER AND SHOULDER-BRACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,641, dated July 25, 1899. 'Application filed N0vember22, 1898. Serial No. 697,206. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, KATHARINE WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States; and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoulder-Braces and Skirt-Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for supporting womens skirts and holding the body in the proper erect position and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

, In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a shoulder-brace and skirt-supporter embodying my improvements, dotted lines being used to indicate the position of the de vice on thewearer. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the device, showing a skirt-holding hook attached thereto; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longi tudinally through the hook shown in Fig. 2.

In carrying out my invention I employ a belt B, to which the straps A, of webbing or other suitable material, are secured at the points A adjacent to the center of the belt at the rear thereof. From the points A these straps are passed upward (crossing at the 'pointb) over the shoulders and thencebrought back under the arms to the belt at the points A The secured ends of the straps project slightly below the edge of the belt to permit the attachment of a skirt-supporting hook C, as shown clearly'in Figs. 2 and 3, and the free ends are provided with series of perforations or eyelets a, which are engaged over the elbow c of the hook G to fasten the straps. This construction, furthermore, permits an easy and rapid adjustment of the device to the height of the wearer or the length of skirt desired.

with, and is provided with the skirt-sustain:

ing loops c andhook 0 but it will be'readily understood that any hook which supports the skirts andmay be engaged by the perfo rations inthe ends of, thestraps may be sub stituted without involving a departure from my invention.

My device is very light and simple and trans I fers the weight of the skirt from the hips to the shoulders. Passing .over theshoulders and under the arms in the manner described and-shown, the device exerts ino uncomfortable pressure on the breast, but applies a' constant gentle backward pull on the shoulders and tends to expand the lungs.

Having thus described my invention, what I'claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The improved skirt-supporter and shoul= der-brace herein described and shown comprising a belt, a pair of crossed straps passing over the shoulders and back under the arms,'each strap having one end secured tothe belt, and a'skirt-supporting hook attached to and depending from the fast end of each strap, the free end of each strap being provided with a series of perforations adapted to engage the hook at, the fast end of the other strap. 1

Signed at New York, in the county and State of New York,this 19th day of October, 1898.

KATHARINE WILLIAMS.

Witnesses FREDK. BENNETT, Jr., SAMUEL NEALE. 

